


The Right Way

by sunsetmog



Series: Even If Nobody Else Sings Along [3]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Community: schmoop_bingo, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-01
Updated: 2010-07-01
Packaged: 2017-10-31 02:28:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/338881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetmog/pseuds/sunsetmog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kissing in the rain, Aaron-style.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Right Way

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](http://sunsetmog-fics.livejournal.com/52416.html) in July 2010.
> 
> Written for the schmoop_bingo prompt "caught in the rain"

It starts raining about half an hour before Jackson finishes for the day, a quiet but steady pit-pat on the window as he hurries to finish fitting Declan's new bathroom door. He turns the radio up a bit, to cover up the sound of the rain against the windowpane, and glances at his watch. If he gets a move on, he should be able to get the door finished and the rest of his tools packed away before he's supposed to meet Aaron. 

It doesn't work out like that, because he's not a joiner by trade. Whilst he can lay his hand to most things, it takes him longer to finish up then he expects, and by the time he's rushed to put his stuff away and change his t-shirt, he's ten minutes late. Then he tries to check he's got his wallet, find his van keys, lock up Declan's place and pull his jacket up against the rain all at the same time, and by the time he finally makes it up the road to Aaron's place, he's even later, and the rain's even heavier. 

The sky is dark and heavy, and he ducks his head against the rain, stuffing his hands in to his pockets as he crosses the Hotten road, jogging a little to get out of the way of a car coming down the hill. He's halfway up the path to Aaron's front door before he realises that Aaron's waiting outside, leaning up against the side of Paddy's 4x4 in the driveway, hunched up against the rain.

"You forget your keys, or what?" Jackson asks, stopping short. 

"Or what," Aaron says, shrugging. He looks wet through, and cold, and bad-tempered.

Jackson stops himself from rolling his eyes, because Aaron's clearly in a bad mood. His shoulders are up, and he's frowning, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets. "Paddy chuck you out then?" Jackson asks, and Aaron shakes his head. 

"You forget your watch?"

"Got stuck fitting a door," Jackson explains. He nods up the road to the bus stop. "You want to get going?" They're supposed to be going in to Hotten to get something to eat and then and go to the pub. Jackson's secretly been looking forward to it all day.

"I suppose," Aaron says, wrapping his arms around his chest. He looks soaked. 

Jackson wonders how long Aaron's been standing outside waiting for him, and why. Especially when Aaron sets off without him, walking up the road with his hands in his pockets. Jackson sighs, and hurries to catch up. "Good day?" he asks.

Aaron shrugs, and Jackson lets out a breath. His jeans are sticking to him, wet through already and uncomfortable. He dodges a puddle by the side of the road and follows Aaron up the hill to the bus stop, ducking inside the bus shelter and shaking his arms to get rid of a little of the wet. He waits for Aaron to say something, because Aaron seems in a particularly monosyllabic mood this evening. 

Aaron doesn't say anything though, moodily slumping down on to the bench. Jackson rolls his eyes and reads the timetable, just for fun. 

"Ten minutes," he says, reading down the timetable. He turns around, and finds Aaron hovering next to him, looking fierce. 

Aaron continues to look fierce even as he leans in and presses his mouth to Jackson's cheek, in an awkward, quick kiss. 

Jackson's stomach actually flips over, and Aaron's cheeks flame. Jackson licks his lips. "Hey," he says, because he can't think of anything to say and he's pretty sure that Aaron's been building up to this all day. It explains his mood, at least. 

"Shut up," Aaron tells him, stuffing his hands even deeper into his pockets. "It was nothing."

Jackson knows full well that Aaron kissing him in public is exactly the opposite of nothing, but he doesn't say it. Instead, he leans over and bumps Aaron with his elbow. "Next time," he says, "you can wait for me inside, you know."

"Don't go on about it," Aaron says, but he ducks his head and Jackson's almost certain he can see him smile. 

Jackson bumps him with his elbow again. "Wasn't so bad, right?" 

Aaron flushes, but doesn't say anything. "Suppose," he says, finally. 

Jackson grins, and stands close enough to Aaron that the back of their hands brush. Aaron's skin is cold and clammy after so long out in the rain. "At least wear a proper coat next time," he says. "You're freezing."

Aaron looks disgusted. "What are you, my mum?" he asks. 

"Shut up," Jackson says, as affectionately as he can manage without letting on. "You're no use to me if you've got flu."

"You only want me for my body," Aaron says, and flexes his muscles.

"What, is that a joke?" Jackson puts his hand to his chest in mock-horror. "He makes jokes!"

Aaron makes a big show of rolling his eyes, and elbowing Jackson in the side. "I'm really funny, shut up."

"Yeah," Jackson says, with a grin. "You're a real comedian."

"I so am," Aaron tells him. He leans a little closer, his arm pressed up against Jackson's. He's cold and wet but Jackson really likes how close he's standing to him. Jackson thinks about kissing him, and judging by the way Aaron's gaze is flicking between Jackson's mouth and back up to meet his eyes, Aaron's thinking much the same thing. Jackson decides to wait it out, even though his heart is beating fast and loud in his chest. Aaron's gaze meets Jackson's, and then, all of a sudden, he's pulling away, looking at something over Jackson's shoulder and saying, "What's he doing here?"

Jackson turns around to see Paddy—holding a newspaper over his head as a poor defence against the rain - beckoning them back down the street. Jackson sighs, because much as he appreciates Aaron's makeshift family, he'd maybe appreciate them more if they didn't keep screwing up Jackson's few and far-between opportunities to get up close and personal with Aaron. Though, Jackson has to admit, between the two of them they manage quite well at _that_ themselves. 

"What do you want?" Aaron calls. He has, Jackson notes, retreated a little, leaning up against the side of the bus shelter. When Jackson turns around, though, Aaron touches the small of Jackson's back with his knuckles. Jackson shoots him a sidelong look, but Aaron's determinedly watching Paddy come up the road, still trying to shield himself from the rain under his Yorkshire Post. 

"It's raining," Paddy says, as if that wasn't obvious. Aaron does them all a favour and rolls his eyes. "I'm doing shepherd's pie," Paddy goes on, from underneath his already-soggy newspaper. He pays almost as little attention to Aaron's fierce façade as Jackson does, which Jackson appreciates. "Come in for your tea and then I'll drop you in Hotten afterwards."

Aaron looks confused. "You're not going into Hotten," he says. "I thought you were going to watch the telly."

"I am," Paddy says, wrapping his arm around himself as if that's somehow going to make the rain and the wind disappear. "I've got old Springwatch to watch on Sky plus. But I can drop you off. It's wet out."

"Why'd you want to do that?" Aaron asks. 

"Because it's raining," Paddy says, carefully. It is painfully obvious that Aaron has very little idea how to react to small kindnesses, and Jackson makes a concerted effort not to react to Aaron's bemused frown. "I'm doing shepherd's pie," Paddy says, again. "Come inside and dry off."

Jackson elbows him. "Next time, wait inside," he says. 

Aaron rolls his eyes. "The whole lot of you are the same," he says, grumpily. "Always going on at me." He turns to Paddy. "You're not doing carrots, right? I hate carrots."

"Peas and broccoli," Paddy tells him. He shoots a quick, hesitant look at Jackson. "That alright with you?"

"Bang on," Jackson says, and he stuffs his hands into his pockets and follows Aaron and Paddy back down the road to the house. 

When they get inside, Paddy makes a big deal about stamping his feet and changing out of his boots and into his slippers; it's clearly a _thing_ because Aaron makes an equally big deal about sighing loudly in Paddy's direction and untying his trainers and putting on a pair of very staid blue slippers. They look stupid. It's really kind of cute. 

Aaron is trying his best to look fierce, but it's hard to take him seriously when he's wearing a pair of carpet slippers.

"Nice slippers," Jackson says, with a grin. 

"Shove off," Aaron says, under his breath. "Paddy bought them for me."

"They look good," Jackson says, as seriously as he can manage. 

Aaron's brow furrows. "You must be blind."

"And stupid," Jackson tells him, cheerfully. "You don't have a shirt I can borrow, do you? Rain's soaked right through this one."

Paddy sticks his head around the kitchen door. He has a tea towel slung over his shoulder; Jackson thinks it reads _Heartbeat Country_ across the middle. He blinks. "If you lend him a shirt, Aaron, I'll put both your wet ones in the tumble dryer," he says. "Should be dry by the time we've finished eating."

Aaron nods. "Okay," he says, and nods upstairs. "You coming up, or what?"

Jackson grins. "Yeah," he says, and follows Aaron up the stairs. 

Paddy calls after them, "Do you want red or white? I'm opening a bottle."

Aaron turns around. He's wearing his best withering look, and Jackson fights the urge to push Aaron back against the wall and kiss him over and over again. It's entirely possible he's a sucker for that particular look. "When have I ever drunk wine, Paddy?" 

"No harm in being a wine drinker," Paddy says. "World of possibilities, wine."

Aaron raises an eyebrow, and Paddy blusters a little before saying, "I'll get a couple of cans out of the fridge."

"Good one," Aaron says. There's a look on his face that Jackson can't quite put his finger on, and when Jackson looks back downstairs, Paddy's wearing an almost-identical one. 

"I'll, uh," Paddy says, pointing back towards the kitchen. "Five minutes, lads. Just got to do the peas."

Aaron nods, and Jackson follows him into his bedroom. 

"What was all that about, out there?" Jackson asks, as Aaron drops his jacket down on to the bed.

"Dunno," Aaron says, pulling his t-shirt off over his head. It's probably a lie, but Jackson doesn't call him on it. He doesn't particularly mind. The intricacies of Aaron and Paddy's relationship are beyond Jackson, but it seems to work for Aaron, which is the most important thing. Jackson concentrates on watching Aaron undress instead, and he gets a perfect view of Aaron's back as he leans over to drop his shirt on to the bed. Before Aaron's had a chance to pull on a clean shirt, Jackson's pressing himself to Aaron's back, and dropping a kiss to the underneath of Aaron's ear. 

"Get off," Aaron says, half-heartedly, but he doesn't any move to push him away. "Paddy's downstairs."

"And we're upstairs," Jackson says, but he doesn't push it. He presses the briefest of kisses to Aaron's jaw, and steps back, dropping his own jacket on the floor and tugging his shirt off. He drops that, too, and when he looks up it's to find Aaron watching him hungrily, clean t-shirt in hand.

Jackson doesn't say anything. His skin is cold and clammy from being out in the rain; even though it's supposedly summer, it doesn't feel anything like it right now. He wants to run his fingers over Aaron's skin, kiss him and have him kiss back. 

"Got disturbed earlier," Aaron says, softly, and he hooks a finger into Jackson's belt loops, tugging him closer. 

"Yeah," Jackson says. Aaron's skin is just as cold and as clammy as Jackson's, but it doesn't stop Jackson from pressing closer, and sliding his fingertips up until he's cupping Aaron's face in his hands. 

"Paddy's downstairs," Aaron says again. 

Jackson shrugs. "Yeah," he says. "Do you want me to stop?"

Aaron shakes his head. "No," he says, and he leans in slowly, the anticipation making Jackson's heart thump loud in his chest. Aaron kisses him almost-hesitantly, his hand in the small of Jackson's back, pulling him closer. 

Downstairs, Jackson can hear Paddy moving about, and the steady hum of the CD player. He leans his forehead against Aaron's, resting his hands in the small of Aaron's back. To his surprise, Aaron doesn't break away. He touches Jackson's cheek with his fingertips instead, and presses a kiss to the corner of Jackson's mouth. 

Paddy calls up from the bottom of the stairs. "Two minutes, lads."

"Be right down," Aaron says, without moving. Jackson rubs his thumb across Aaron's hip. 

"You got a top I can borrow?" Jackson says, finally, when the moment's stretched on too long and neither of them have moved. 

Aaron nods. "Yeah," he says, and he pulls away, rummaging in his open wardrobe. He comes out with a red plaid shirt and picks up a faded—but clearly clean - grey t-shirt from the end of the bed. He keeps the plaid for himself and throws the t-shirt at Jackson. "Here."

"Dressing up for me now?" Jackson asks, pulling the shirt on. Aaron ignores him in favour of buttoning up his shirt in the mirror. Jackson reaches down to pick up his damp shirt - he picks up Aaron's, too, but Aaron just shakes his head. 

"Gonna wear this instead," he says, and Jackson leans over and curls his hand around Aaron's hip, pulling him close. 

"Looks good." 

Aaron scoffs. "Well," he says. "Yeah. Obviously." He makes a face.

"Dick," Jackson tells him, affectionately. 

"Says you," Aaron tells him. 

Jackson rolls his eyes, because if he's doing that, he's not tugging Aaron down onto the bed and making them both late for tea. "We should go down," he says, at least a little regretfully.

"Yeah," Aaron agrees. He leans in, still awkward. He licks his lips, and his gaze darts between Jackson's eyes and his mouth. 

The kiss, when it comes, is both fierce and a little sweet. 

"Aaron," Paddy calls. "Table isn't going to set itself."

Aaron rolls his eyes. "Have to do everything myself," he complains, but there's no edge to it. He bumps his shoulder into Jackson's, and nudges him out of the door and onto the landing. "Come on," he says, and Jackson grins and follows him downstairs.

[End]


End file.
